Broad-band optical communications typically require high-speed optical receivers capable of converting high data rate signals from optical to electrical domain. Noise characteristics of an optical receiver are usually of importance, as lower added noise means higher receiver sensitivity, which allows to use lower-power transmitters or transmit light signals over a greater distance, with greater optical loss in the receiver-transmitter path.
Accordingly, optical receivers that are capable of operating at high data rates with a suitably low noise are desirable.